What blogs, those online journals, did for amateur and aspiring columnists, podcasting technology has been doing since late last year for thousands of people who want to be heard instead of being seen.

A podcast can be made by anyone with a microphone, a computer for recording and editing and the Internet to upload the content onto a server. Listeners see the content they want to listen to and download these free sound capsules to a computer or supporting mp3 player (such as Apple’s iPod) or just stream it online.

Podeejay, launched in August, is a new station and one of only a handful using the technology in Singapore, alongside the mrbrown show and the Pilot n’ Jo Show.

Run by a group of recent graduates from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Studies, this ‘radio’ station mainly offers podcasts covering youth-centred content from movie, gaming reviews to event coverage for gigs.

When it comes to music, we hit on a Podeejay distinctive– all the music they play is local fare. Simply click on a link to download or stream the clip you want to listen to and you’ll be tuning in to Podeejay. Why does this have an edge over local radio programming? It’s commercial-free and it’s you, and not the station, who decides what you want to listen to and, most importantly, when. Said Brendan Ang, 20, CEO of Podeejay, it’s a combination of 3 elements: “Radio journ[alism], the technology of podcasting [and an emphasis on showcasing] local music.”

It’s the journalism that’s probably going to win them the notice of serious listeners. Their feeds aren’t just people blabbing and ranting over the mike. Unlike the majority of podcasts out there, these are scripted and planned, so they can focus on a topic and give their listeners good information. For example, they interviewed Christoper Ng, General Manager for EA Games regarding the Xbox game, Burnout Revenge.

To get a team together for Podeejay, still a relatively new concept here, Brendan had to pitch the idea to his friends, get them to read an article on podcasting and bug them for a few days. But after all the prodding and persuading, he has a team of 15, including a photographer, marketing team, videographer and Chinese presenters.

Apart from looking for a strong team, scouting for bands to feature was also a major problem when they started out, said Peter Li, 24, English Programme Director. Unlike radio stations that can count on recording companies going to them, local bands haven’t heard of podeejay.

Most local bands also don’t have quality recordings for Podeejay to use, thus making it difficult for their material to be broadcast. Podeejay is trying to overcome the problem of sound quality by working with a couple of recording studios to provide facilities for better recordings. They have worked with Home Studios who “recorded some [free] station IDs and trailers” for them. They also recommend WEM Productions to “Bands that want to be heard, but don’t have good recordings” for cheaper recording rates, Brendan added.

Podeejay is very passionate in its support for local music. What moved Brendan was that local bands were “playing their hearts out” and yet no one cares about them. Peter also added Podeejay aims to show that local music can be as good as the foreign music Singaporeans are consuming.

Some local bands they have featured in their podcasts include The Observatory, Chou Pi Jiang, Ronin, Electrico and Fatskunks.

Besides being a radio station that promotes local music, Brendan and Peter agree that Podeejay is a great platform for youths to get heard. They will “take in anyone who’s passionate about presenting and getting their views heard,” said Peter. Brendan believes, “Almost anyone can be a presenter, a decent presenter… with a bit of training.”

Passion for Podeejay aside, Brendan said they have to be realistic. “People still need to feed themselves, people still need their day jobs. We’re trying to put 100 percent focus into this, but yet we have to keep ourselves alive by doing other stuff.” Peter added, “We need to find decent day jobs to support Podeejay for now.” However, the team has talked to investors and people in the music industry and plans are already afoot to commercialise Podeejay in about “three to six months’ time”, said Brendan. This will mean being able to buy better equipment, settle their bills and, of course, pay their presenters.

So kick-start your career as a broadcast journalist online or just check out their upbeat youthful content, videos and photographs, atwww.podeejay.com.